2008 Woodie Awards
Lucky in Ireland indeed
Audrey LeBrun '08
Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: Portfolio
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I guess that when it rains, it pours. Personally, the past few weeks of my study abroad adventure have not exactly gone smoothly. Between having a wallet, passport, iPod, and digital camera stolen on a weekend trip to London, the failure of MasterCard to replace my only credit card in a reasonable time period, and now the inability to turn my laptop on, I have seen brighter days.
However, while I was at the American Embassy in London, waiting for an emergency passport so I could leave the country, a security guard walked by and gave me some advice: "Smile!"
And since then I have.
While I may have lost all significant material possessions of any value, I have had no shortage of friends to help me out and cheer me up. When disaster struck in England, a fellow Providence College student studying abroad in Oxford for the year took me in until the Embassy opened. She fed me, let me use her phone, and basically saved me from a solemn, absolutely broke night in Stansted Airport. When I finally arrived back in Galway at 2:00 a.m., two amazing girls were standing at the bus stop, homemade cookies in hand, ready to embrace my exhausted body. Even though I have not had much money lately, I have managed to get by thanks to the kindness of lending friends and strangers. I have certainly been taken care of, and I have learned to take care of myself.
Last week, seven of my best friends travelled from America and France to visit Galway for their spring break. At first only one friend was coming, but shortly after, two decided to join. After Christmas, four planned to come. As if that was not enough, a lovely Parisian friend decided to join in on the fun and surprise everyone the second weekend. Amazingly, the final two booked their two-day sojourn within a week of actually arriving. I found myself without money, without a computer, without my camera . . . but it did not matter anymore.
For 10 days, all of those material possessions were forgotten as the value of my friends took precedent (OK, maybe the first few days were rough, but hey, it's difficult to travel with people.) I found myself much sadder to see such amazing people leave than I had been at the loss of my iPod-and rightfully so.
People say that studying abroad changes you forever, and I could not agree more. While I may have changed for the worse in some ways, (I am scared to travel between countries now for fear of being stranded, and I unjustly dislike London) I am proud to say that I have changed for the better in many others. A computer, a credit card, and a camera are really all just "things." I lived without them in the past, and I can certainly live without them now. What matters the most is being lucky enough to have friends who are willing to cook you a meal, lend you some money, or fly across the Atlantic for two days to give you a hug and share some pints. I may be unlucky in some ways, but I could not be luckier in the area of friendship.
However, while I was at the American Embassy in London, waiting for an emergency passport so I could leave the country, a security guard walked by and gave me some advice: "Smile!"
And since then I have.
While I may have lost all significant material possessions of any value, I have had no shortage of friends to help me out and cheer me up. When disaster struck in England, a fellow Providence College student studying abroad in Oxford for the year took me in until the Embassy opened. She fed me, let me use her phone, and basically saved me from a solemn, absolutely broke night in Stansted Airport. When I finally arrived back in Galway at 2:00 a.m., two amazing girls were standing at the bus stop, homemade cookies in hand, ready to embrace my exhausted body. Even though I have not had much money lately, I have managed to get by thanks to the kindness of lending friends and strangers. I have certainly been taken care of, and I have learned to take care of myself.
Last week, seven of my best friends travelled from America and France to visit Galway for their spring break. At first only one friend was coming, but shortly after, two decided to join. After Christmas, four planned to come. As if that was not enough, a lovely Parisian friend decided to join in on the fun and surprise everyone the second weekend. Amazingly, the final two booked their two-day sojourn within a week of actually arriving. I found myself without money, without a computer, without my camera . . . but it did not matter anymore.
For 10 days, all of those material possessions were forgotten as the value of my friends took precedent (OK, maybe the first few days were rough, but hey, it's difficult to travel with people.) I found myself much sadder to see such amazing people leave than I had been at the loss of my iPod-and rightfully so.
People say that studying abroad changes you forever, and I could not agree more. While I may have changed for the worse in some ways, (I am scared to travel between countries now for fear of being stranded, and I unjustly dislike London) I am proud to say that I have changed for the better in many others. A computer, a credit card, and a camera are really all just "things." I lived without them in the past, and I can certainly live without them now. What matters the most is being lucky enough to have friends who are willing to cook you a meal, lend you some money, or fly across the Atlantic for two days to give you a hug and share some pints. I may be unlucky in some ways, but I could not be luckier in the area of friendship.